


In The Labyrinth of The Mad King

by SugarWraith



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Asura (Guild Wars), Blood, Charr (Guild Wars), Dismemberment, Friendship, Gen, Giant Spiders, Gore, Halloween, Horror, Magic, Original Character Death(s), Original Character-centric, Peril, Skeletons, Spiders, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 19:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8413450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarWraith/pseuds/SugarWraith
Summary: There are a couple of unnamed Lionguard in Lion's Arch that joke about being stuck in the Labyrinth after Halloween comes to an end. I thought it would be fun to write a piece from their perspective, imagining what it would be like to be trapped with all the monsters and mobs. Caeliana Swordsplitter was bored of standing around watching other people have fun. On the last night of Halloween, she and her colleague Eric finished their shift on the plaza and took a trip through one of the spooky doors. They found themselves in The Labyrinth, a realm under the dominion of the maniacal King Thorn. At first, the duo found fun amongst the festive candy elementals. But soon the creepy atmosphere of the realm started to affect them, and the horrors lurking in the depths of The Labyrinth tested even Caeliana's resolve.





	

Caeliana Swordsplitter ran the tip of her tongue over her fangs. She prodded and poked at the sliver of candy corn that had wedged itself against her gum. It didn’t budge. 

“You look funny doing that,” Eric said, raising an eyebrow. “I know it’s Halloween, but let’s not scare the children.” He smiled to himself, and watched the plaza. Groups of residents and tourists alike stood clustered under the soaring glass dome. The pendant lights cast an ethereal shine over their faces, and gave their glittering costumes a ghostly glow. 

Caeliana frowned, and rolled a shoulder. She dug one of her talons between her teeth, and wiggled it. 

“Gross,” Eric said with a grimace. “We’re on duty!”

Caeliana shrugged. “It’s annoying me,” she growled. “And there’s nothing going on anyway.”

Eric sniffed, and dragged the back of his hand over his face. “I think I’m coming down with something,” he muttered. “It’s all this standing around.”

Caeliana twitched her nose. The heavy, sickly scent of candy and sweet pumpkin wormed its way down her throat. The air was chill, but with her thick, charcoal fur, she hardly noticed. Her stomach rumbled. 

She sighed. “When does our shift end?” 

Eric turned his head to watch a couple of children run by. Their eyes glittered in the low light, and their cheeks were flushed with exuberance. 

“Uh… few hours or so?”

Caeliana pouted. “I wish there was something to keep us  _ occupied. _ ” She balled a paw into a fist, and struck at her opposite palm. “My knees are locking up.”

“Could grab a drink after?” Eric said, half turning and raising his eyebrows.

Caeliana flicked an ear, and cleared her throat. “Er… no.”

Eric shrugged, an impish grin spreading across his lips. 

Caeliana pulled a face, and flicked her tail. “We could take up the Mad King’s challenge?” her gravelly voice lifted in anticipation of a good fight. “I bet I would take him!” She glanced at the human beside her, and ducked her head. “Or, y’know, maybe I’d need...backup.”

Eric sneezed. He shivered, and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Can’t we do something inside?” he said. 

Caeliana made a noise in her throat. “Hmm. So these doors…?”

Eric tipped his head. “Did you know the gateway into the Mad King’s Realm goes both ways?”

Caeliana’s tail swung from side to side. “That Labyrinth seems pretty challenging,” she acceded. “Wanna give it a go?”

Eric dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I dunno, I’m pretty beat.”

Caeliana scoffed, and shook her head. “Come on,” she teased, “It sounds like a great opportunity to refine our combat skills!” she grinned, and her yellowy canines flashed in the gloom. 

Eric chuckled. He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Sure,” he said with a smile. “So long as we watch our step. I wouldn’t want to get stuck in there with the Mad King for an  _ entire year.”  _

Caeliana grinned. 

 

The plaza’s population of party-goers ebbed and flowed over the course of the evening. As night fell, the screeches and calls of children gave way to the yells of adults. The warm orange light spilling from the open taverns mingled with the sickly glow of lamps and novelty auras. A sylvari, decked out as a Devil complete with flaming robes, strode across the concourse. An asura couple floated by on a flying carpet, their heads spangled with luminescent jewellery.

Eric tutted, and jabbed his elbow into Caeliana’s arm. “Hey,” he said, jerking his head towards a particularly rowdy group of revelers. “We should check that out.” 

Caeliana frowned. As they approached, the sharp tang of spirits tore at her nose. Her blue eyes watered. 

“Easy there,” she cautioned, laying her paw on the shoulder of a russet-furred charr. The charr swayed on her feet, and peered up at Caeliana with narrowed eyes. 

“What’s that, then?” The charr slurred, tipping her head back. She leant heavily against Caeliana, and almost lost her balance. 

The Lionguard huffed, and pressed her ears against her horns. “Ugh,” Caeliana muttered, “get a load of this one.”

Eric staggered by, the thick arm of a norn draped over his shoulders. With every step, his knees threatened to buckle. “Kinda busy,” he panted, “watch the small ones, will you?” He gestured towards one of the towers of decorative candy corn. A couple of women had wormed their way to the top of the pile, and were jabbing and prodding at the husks. Caeliana scowled.

“Watch it!” she yelled. “Get off there!” she raised a pointed claw and waggled it sternly. 

The women whooped and waved their arms. One levered a chunk of candy free, and held it aloft. Caeliana grit her teeth and raised her shoulders, pushing her way through the throng of revellers towards them. 

The women jumped down from the decoration and darted off, leaving Caeliana trailing in their wake. She let out a growl of frustration, and swatted at the head of a man as he fell into her. He turned to her with arms raised, his face breaking from its buoyant grin. 

Her glancing blow made him scowl. 

“Uh oh,” Eric cautioned. He moved between the human and charr, and steered the man away.

“Watch that temper of yours,” he said, leaning shoulder to shoulder with Caeliana. “We’re just marshalls, remember.” 

Caeliana huffed. “How long left?” she said through her teeth. 

Eric smiled. 

 

The hours ticked on. The plaza fell quiet and the partying ebbed and petered out. A lone black cat slunk between the doors, and sulked around the corn. It paused beside one of the ghostly vendors, it’s ears pushed back and its fur puffed up. Caeliana rubbed her paws over her forearms. 

“So…” Eric said, stifling a yawn. His sleepy eyes looked red in the glow from the torches. 

“Aw come on,” Caeliana said, and shrugged. “There’s plenty more hours in the… early morning…” She tailed off. Her shoulder’s slumped. “We always miss out on the fun,” she sighed. 

Eric groaned. “My ears are ringing,” he said. “Why are the last days of Hallowe’en always the worst?”

Caeliana sniffed. “They gotta get the partying in somehow,” she mused, “still a few more months till Wintersday.” 

Eric said something incomprehensible, his face buried in his hands. He took a dramatic breath. “Well,” he said in a resigned tone, “I guess now’s as good a time as ever.” 

Caeliana’s brow lifted. Her mouth curled into a wide grin. “Really?” she asked. 

Eric laughed. “You look adorable when your little ears stick up.”

The charr threw a lazy punch, knocking Eric’s shoulder forwards. He staggered. 

“Easy,” he said, “save it for the skeletons.”

“Well, come on then!” Caeliana called, hurrying towards one of the doors wreathed in eerie mist. The air around the heavy frame looked warped; Eric ignored the twinge of worry in his gut.

 

The cool autumn air of Lion’s Arch was mild compared to the chill of the Mad King’s realm. Eric tugged at his gloves, watching Caeliana furtively from the corner of his eye. She lifted her head and took in the view, her eyes widening, and her nose twitching. A lone tree with spindly branches stood vigil on a cliff by the entrance, and she craned her head to peer up at its highest branches. Here and there, green-flamed torches flickered and spat. 

“It’s so… quiet,” she murmured. “And smells like…” her voice trailed off. 

Eric didn’t have the nose of a Charr, but he did detect the heavy, musty smell that hung in the air. He cleared his throat, and squared his shoulders.

“Just for the atmosphere,” he said, “damp earth and… fungus. Probably.”

Caeliana narrowed her eyes and frowned. She didn’t say what she knew they were both thinking; something about the way the Adam's apple in Eric’s throat bobbed up and down made her reconsider. 

“Eh,” she said warmly, “I heard a rumour they ship in fake spiders for the crowds. I bet the skeletons are made of clay!”

Eric flashed a tight-lipped smile. “Sure,” he said.

“Let’s see if we can find something to smash!” She grinned, and beckoned to Eric. “Ok so, there’s a portal down here…”

Eric walked a few steps behind. “Isn’t there supposed to be… a Boatmaster here?”

Caeliana bounded up to the portal and turned. “Er… maybe?” 

Eric took a breath. “I’m sure there’s supposed to be someone here…” The bone ship still hung in the air beside the platform, rocking from side to side, soundlessly. But the appointed marshal was nowhere to be seen.

“Bathroom break,” Caeliana said, waving a paw and rolling her eyes. 

Eric pulled a face. “He’s an ethereal servant of the Mad King, surely” he said through his teeth. “Dead men don’t need pee breaks.”

Caeliana scoffed, “maybe he’s just some Lionguard tasked with marshalling revellers in costume.”

Eric made a noise in his throat. 

“What?” Caeliana said. “Get over here, will you.”

Eric joined her on the portal. “How’ll we get back up if he’s not-”

“shhh get over it,” Caeliana chided, ruffling Eric’s hair with her paw. “It’s the last day of the festival, I gotta get my fix before we’re back to boring normality.” She chuckled to herself. Her eyes glinted with determination, and she flexed her large paws. 

 

The portal dropped them at the head of a long corridor. The walls were two or three times Eric’s height, and they leaned inwards. Here and there, the jagged stone slabs had cracked and tumbled down onto the uneven floor. Caeliana was already making her way down the path. She had unslung her shield from her back, and clasped her mace tightly. 

“Don’t you think it’s a little unfair to go up against the courtiers like this?” Eric asked, hurrying to catch up. He jogged to keep pace with Caeliana’s determined stride.

“Eh, so what if it is?” she replied with a smirk, “The royal family’s lackeys are vicious buggers, so what’s wrong with giving them a taste of their own medicine? Besides, they’re supposedly at war with each other, so it’s not like they’re out of practice.”

Eric made a small noise of agreement. “Well, I guess I’ve got your back.”

“Seems like they’re in another part of the Labyrinth,” she added, “nothing but candy corn grunts here.” 

She lifted her mace and smashed through the sugary skull of a candy corn elemental. It shattered into sharp fragments and a puff of golden dust. Eric nudged the corpse with his boot. 

“More this way!” Caeliana called, darting around a corner.

Eric followed. He muttered under his breath, and rubbed his hands together until blue flames licked at his fingertips. 

“Stop fretting,” Caeliana teased. “I’ll bet you can’t take out more of these than I can!”

Caeliana shoved her foot into the back of a much larger elemental. It staggered forwards on stubbly legs and raids its arms. Eric pulled his fists up in front of his face, and braced himself. 

Caeliana laughed. “No, not like that!” she chided, “You gotta smash ‘em!” She shoved her shoulder into the elemental, and sent it barrelling towards the wall. She threw her whole weight against it, and as it struck, it exploded in a shower of sugar. 

The charr was exuberant. Caeliana cheered, her oversized lower fangs glinting and her eyes bright in the gloom. Her joy was infectious, and Eric felt a warm feeling bubble in his stomach. 

“Alright,” he challenged, “not bad. But can you do  _ this? _ ” He lifted his mace from his belt, and darted towards a new foe. He raised his arm above his head, and drove it down squarely on the elemental. The sparkling bright lines of  magic blossomed from where he struck, forming a ring of light that made the candy corn beast crackle and pop. It collapsed in a heap within seconds. Caeliana felt the power from the symbol wash over her. It cleared her head, and gave her a shot of energy. 

“Aw yeah!” she yelled, waving her mace in the air. “Not bad for a human,” she joked. 

The pair laughed. “Loser buys our lunch for… a week?” Eric proposed. 

Caeliana brought her face in close to his, and said in a low voice: “Loser files the vandalism reports for a month.”

Eric shuddered. “Ugh you better get your writing paw ready, then.”

Caeliana flung her head back and laughed: “Bring it on,” she said. 

 

They ran the corridors until the scent of broken candy was too sickly to bear. Eric gingerly moved to Caeliana’s side, careful not to slip on the decimated remains of candy corn beasts. His boots were caked with sugar; each step he took made a crunching, crackling sound. 

“Ugh, my head hurts,” Eric said. Caeliana turned to him with her mouth full of something. She chewed with full cheeks, her bright pink tongue darting out every so often to lick at her teeth. 

“What are you… ugh!” Eric grimaced and feigned disgust. “Are you  _ eating them?!”  _ he cried. 

Caeliana frowned. “Ur… yeah, m’course I’m…” she tried to speak around the candy crammed into her mouth. 

“Don’t even try,” Eric said, pressing his palm over his face. “Just don’t eat too much, wouldn’t want you to get a sugar crash.”

Caeliana grinned, and between her teeth were needles of orange. 

Eric rolled his eyes and tugged at her arm. “Let’s go this way,” he said, “I came across a gargoyle, I’m sure of it. I think you’ll enjoy giving it a taste of your mace.”

Caeliana’s ears pricked up. She followed Eric towards the centre of the Labyrinth, rubbing the back of her hand over her still full mouth. 

 

They ran up an incline, and almost crashed into a trio of asura. One with a bright mane of hair jumped backward with his arms windmilling. His pet drake snorted, and jerked its head.

“Woah, steady on.” Eric said, reaching out. 

“Lionguard?” The asura pulled a quizzical face, his large liquid eyes narrowing. He laid a small hand on the drake’s nose.

“Off duty,” Caeliana managed to say, slurping noisily. 

The asura eyed her with thinly veiled disgust. 

His companion shrugged. “Well, we were going to climb that hill there-” he pointed up the hill. A crooked mausoleum stood at it’s peak, tilted and cracked. “But it’s in the middle of a graveyard, and… well…” His voice trailed off. Caeliana looked eagerly up the hill. The visage of the Mad Moon stared down at her, it’s wicked grin reflected in her eyes. 

“Let’s take ‘em on!” she said, throwing her mace and catching it with one hand. 

Another asura with thick goggles and a heavy backpack grinned, showing rows of sharp little teeth. “I’m in,” she said. 

Caeliana set her face into a determined scowl. She lead the way up into the graveyard. 

The path split left and right, and was hemmed in by twisted, gnarled iron fencing. The sharp tips of the mangled bars stood up like talons ready to gouge whoever ran carelessly close. 

The asura with the backpack raised something in her hands. 

Eric felt his stomach clench. “Is that a flamethrower?” he asked, his eyes widening. 

The asura’s grin stretched wider. “Only the best weaponry will suffice when cleaving these critters,” she explained, flicking a switch on the barrel in her hands. 

The two male asura followed in Caeliana’s wake. 

“I’m Siggag,” the bushy-haired asura offered. “This is…Dhubbin.”

Caeliana nodded to the quiet asura. Dhubbin pulled his hood down further over his eyes and shrugged. He pulled out a pair of small daggers, and pointed towards the nearest tombstone. 

A skeleton had pulled itself up from the ground and was moving towards them. It held a makeshift shield in one hand, and a tarnished sword in the other. Dhubbin disappeared in a cloud of ashen smoke. He reappeared behind the skeleton, and leapt up. The sound of both his daggers striking the foe echoed in the still air  _ thwack, thwack. _

Siggag drew flung his arm forwards, and his drake sped to Dhubbin’s aid. Its sturdy legs flung clods of dirt behind it, and when it reached the skeleton it slammed its tail into it’s yellowy bones. The drake sent the skeleton sprawling. 

Dhubbin made swift work of the skeleton, rending it’s head from its vertebrae and sending it spinning away behind a tombstone. 

“Easy,” the female asura said. 

Caeliana sniffed. “Aw,” she complained, “I was hoping they’d be a bit more challenging than  _ that.”  _

Dhubbin shadowstepped onto the path ahead. He sheathed his daggers in a fluid movement, and started up the hill. 

Caeliana hurried after him. 

Eric hung back. The skeleton had seemed tame enough, it’s sword blunted by age, but something was making the hair at the nape of his neck prickle. 

 

The view from the top of the hill was breathtaking. The Labyrinth spread out as far as Eric could see before melding into the eerie mist. The three asura scrambled onto the branches of a wizened tree and stood gazing out over the graveyard. Caeliana was distracted by the shadowy figures that flitted around the spire.

“They’re bats,” the female asura said, watching the charr as she followed their flight. Her thick fluffy tail swished from side to side. 

“What’s your name?” Eric asked. 

“Loxu,” she replied. 

“I’m Eric.” 

She raised an eyebrow, and smiled her impish grin again. Eric cleared his throat. 

“How long have you been in here?”

Loxu shrugged. Dhubbin said:

“All day.”

Caeliana’s attention snapped back to them. “What?!”

“He’s joking,” Siggag said, rolling his eyes. “It just feels that way. Time is… an odd phenomenon in this realm.” He fished around in his pocket, and pulled out a metallic device. He opened it with a click, and stared. “Almost four hours,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Wow, we should… get back soon.”

Caeliana huffed. “Let’s go over there,” she said, pointing to the south. 

Loxu nodded. “Last time we saw a flock of gargoyles there,” she said, “They smell like fried moa when they burn.”

Eric pulled his lips into a thin line. Caeliana smiled with an open mouth, and licked her furry lips. 

Siggag scratched his drake under the chin. “I suppose we could make a detour on our way out,” he said. 

The group started to descend the hill. Eric dragged his feet. 

 

Down in the graveyard, they took a different path and crossed the square to the south. As they jogged between the gravestones, Eric noticed the earth appeared darker than elsewhere. 

“Hold up,” he said, “What’s with the graves here?”

Siggag’s large ears lifted. “What was that?” he said, his voice rising in pitch. He hadn’t appeared to hear Eric, and was staring into the darkness behind a tangle of knotted vines. 

Eric strained his eyes and made out the shadowy dips in the earth. Beneath each gravestone, the ground was rent and torn up. The sickly smell of decay assaulted Eric’s nose and made his eyes water. 

“Caeliana,” he said, holding his arm over his nose and reaching out to his colleague with a  shaking hand. “They’re real, they’re definitely real!”

Caeliana turned to him and grasped his arm in a strong grip. Eric dug his fingers into her fur and held on tight. 

“Alright buddy,” Caeliana soothed, “I got your back.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Loxu asked. Eric’s trembling had spread to his whole body, and his eyes were ringed in white. 

“He doesn’t like skeletons all that much,” she said with a thin-lipped smile. “Always bothered him. Shoulda seen how long it took to get him ok enough so he could do Hallowe’en duty with me!” Caeliana tried to laugh, but the look on Eric’s face cut her short. 

“Er…okay.” Loxu frowned. “So why has this phobic reaction only just re-manifested?”

Caeliana snapped her jaw shut, and made her teeth click. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we didn’t realise these were the actual remains of decomposed  _ corpses. _ ”

“Hey!” Siggag yelled. “What about this?!”

Caeliana guided Eric towards the asura. Siggag raised a hand to point into the gloom.

“What about what?” Caeliana said. She could hear Eric’s teeth chatter. 

Siggag clutched at his drake’s neck and whined. “It’s gonna eat me alive,” he squeaked. 

Caeliana peered into the dark, and made out the thick grey strands of a spider’s web. Deep in its sticky webbing something stirred. 

“Ack, it’s a puny spider,” Caeliana said. “Stick it with an arrow, you’ll see what I mean.”

Dhubbin nudged Siggag, and held out his hands. Siggag handed his bow to the thief, and hung back. 

Dhubbin’s arrow tore through the web and sent the spider scurrying away. His second shot struck it in the rear and knocked it dead. 

Caeliana flipped it over with her foot and said: “See what I mean, Eric, fake spiders! Things aren’t too bad after all.”

Eric tried to smile, but his heart was thrumming in his head and he could barely see. His vision blurred apart from the narrowest field of view directly ahead. He made out a few words printed on the underside of the spider, but no more. 

“Can we go please,” he choked out. 

Caeliana followed behind the asura trio. They made their way down a path and turned a corner. 

The clearing was filled with swathes of skeletons. Their bones were darker brown and grey, and they carried wicked knives in their hands. These weapons glittered in the low light, and looked lethal. 

Caeliana froze, her fur standing on end. 

Dhubbin swore, his voice cutting through the quiet. Siggag clapped a hand over his mouth, and Loxu hissed.

“Dammit! I thought there were a lot fewer than this!” she said through her teeth. 

“At least the big one appears to have moved away,” Dhubbin said, “honestly, last time we came this way it wasn’t this bad!”

Siggag nodded, his ears bobbing. Caeliana growled. 

“Well, let’s head  _ this  _ way then,” she said, pulling Eric along the wall.

They made it a few steps before an arrow flew into the wall beside them. Caeliana froze, her nose inches from the arrow’s still quivering shaft. The fletching was tinged a dull red, and she could smell the caked-on blood. 

“Ah,” she said.

“I don’t think this is  _ quite _ what we had in mind,” Eric said between laboured breaths. 

Loxu scoffed. “It’s the underworld, you fool. What did you expect? Candy corn and plastic cretins?”

Caeliana batted at the asura with her paw and scowled. “Listen, squirt, I came here to bash some heads and have some fun. This has taken a turn for the macabre and I want out.”

Loxu stuck out her tongue. “The exit should be just up here,” she said. “All we have to do it make it up that corridor.” She raised her flamethrower and flicked a switch. There was a whirring sound, then a blossom of bright flame gushed out. The skeletons in the clearing turned toward the light. Eric yelped. 

They moved with shocking speed, rushing as a mass towards the group. Dhubbin threw something at their feet, and managed to cloak Caeliana and Eric in a cloud of black smoke. 

“Come on,” he hissed, tugging at Caeliana’s trouser leg. Siggag pulled himself up onto his drake’s back and they both bounded after the retreating trio. Loxu stood guard, her flamethrower cutting burning swathes into the oncoming foes. The sound of snapping bones filled the air as the heat rendered their skeletons weak and brittle. 

Dhubbin’s cloaking dust didn’t hide them for long. Soon the archers, safe from the flame’s reach, began firing arrows in volleys at the group. Eric managed to grip his shield, and held it over his head. A bright dome erupted and covered the group. The arrows hit the shield and were absorbed; each time they struck, a low  _ whump _ sound echoed off the walls. 

Caeliana whooped: “Yes! Go Eric!”

She grabbed his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Eric stared past her towards the sea of skeletons. His face blanched. 

“She’s in trouble there!” he said, pointing to Loxu.

Loxu was indeed struggling. She had stopped firing her weapon, and stood smacking it with her fist. 

“Loxu!” Caeliana called, “Get over here! I’ll cover you!”

Loxu’s head turned, her eyes wide with fright. She started to run. 

“That’s it,” Caeliana yelled, “Keep going!”

Caeliana started to run out to meet her, raising her shield and driving it into a skeleton. It reeled back, dazed, and dropped its guard. Caeliana dispatched it with a blow from her mace. 

It felt different to smashing the elementals. This felt more visceral. As its skull cracked and teeth flew from its open mouth, Caeliana lost any feeling of enjoyment she had garnered from her earlier fights. Now a sick feeling settled in her gut. 

“Get to the others,” she said. Loxu sped ahead. 

Caeliana swung at another couple of skeletons, but each one she drove down was replaced by two more. They poured into the narrow corridor, and forced her to move back. She turned and ran, careering around a corner and clawing her way through a gap in the wall. 

Her claws scratched the stone, and set her teeth on edge. 

Loxu called out, but the charr had vanished.

 

Dhubbin shadowstepped towards the mass of skeletons. He flicked his wrist, and sent a fistful of daggers spinning into their wake. All the targets flew true, and struck the skeletons in their foreheads and sternums and knocked out their jaws. 

Loxu sobbed, reaching Dhubbin and flinging her arms around his shoulders. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she chanted over and over. 

Dhubbin wrapped his cloak around them both, and steered her towards the group. 

“My flamethrower, it j-jammed!” Loxu said between sobs. Eric pushed past her and scanned the corridor. 

“Caeliana!” he yelled, “Caeliana!”

Siggag called out: “I think the exit is just ahead!”

The group fled up the corridor, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. The light here was stronger than elsewhere, a deep, reddish glow. It made the walls glisten, and as it pulsed it looked as if the walls were stretching and moving. 

Eric shepherded the asura along the path, casting glances over his shoulder. The throng of skeletons appeared to have dissipated. 

Siggag was struggling with his drake. “He’s being so skittish!” he complained, losing his balance and falling from the drake’s back. He growled with impatience. The drake looked terrified, it’s tail whipping from side to side and its yellowy eyes darting about. 

Eric felt a twinge behind his eyes. This light was making his temples throb. 

“I can’t stand this,” he said, pressing his palms over his eyes, “do the walls look like they’re moving for anyone else?”

Dhubbin gasped. Eric let his hands fall from his face, and stared. 

In the wall ahead, the visage of the Mad King had appeared, complete with maniacal grin. As they watched in horror, the visage appeared to laugh at them, stretching its mouth wide until it split in a swathe of bloody red. 

From the depths of the wall, a skeletal hand thrust out and grasped the stones of the shattered wall. It was large, much larger than any they’d seen before, and as the skeleton pulled itself free, Eric saw it stood almost twice his height. 

The skeleton held one of its arms low by its side. 

“What’s that it’s got there?” Loxu said. 

Eric tried to speak, but his head was filled with static. He felt like he had been doused in icy water, and it took all his willpower not to turn and run. 

“Is that… a chainsaw?!” Siggag yelped, “What horror is this?! Nobody told me there’d be a  _ chainsaw _ !”

“Let’s go! Go, go!” Dhubbin commanded, flapping his arms at the others to get them to move. “The exit is just up here, I’m sure!”

They followed his lead, and ran from the skeleton. Loxu managed to un-jam her flamethrower, and it spurted a gout of flame onto the floor. 

“Stop playing with that!” Siggag chided her. As he ran, his ears flapped up and down. “There are enough things trying to kill us without you-” he was cut off, as another jet of flame erupted from the weapon. The flamethrower spat and hissed, and Loxu recoiled. Sprays of fluid were jetting from the tubes in her backpack, and the asura started clawing at her clothes. 

“I can’t get it off!” she cried, “it’s malfunctioning, I can’t get it off!”

Eric turned, and grasped at Loxu’s backpack. He tugged, and together they managed to free one of her arms. 

The skeletal Horror approached at a frightening pace. It raised its chainsaw and tugged at the ignition in one fluid movement. The machine roared, its blade spinning. 

Loxu screamed, and raised her flamethrower. Eric reached out and shouted:

“No! Don’t!”

Loxu turned to face the Horror, her eyes screwed shut, and flicked the switch on her weapon. Flames flew from her hands and bloomed upwards into the Horror’s face. The skeleton reeled, swinging its chainsaw. The blade struck the wall and squealed. 

Loxu fired again. This time, the flame petered out after a second. She roared, smacking the barrel with her fist. A few sparks short from the tip, and landed on her sleeves. In a moment, she was engulfed in flames. The skeleton turned to her and raised its hands above its head. The chainsaw appeared undamaged, its blade sparkling in the light of the fire. 

Eric called out, raising his hand and sending a gout of blue flame onto the skeleton. He muttered a prayer, drawing on the last of his strength, and managed to make the Horror pause. 

Loxu’s screams were drowned out by the sound of the chainsaw. She was flailing around, her arms waving. The Horror ignored Eric’s attempts, and turned back to Loxu. It lifted its chainsaw and drove the tip down onto her head.

Her skull was split in two; the chainsaw flung shards of bone and spurts of brain matter up into the air. Her blood was turned into a fine, red mist that spattered onto the Horror’s ribcage and dripped from its fingers. 

Eric stood transfixed. Siggag started hitting his leg with his fists. 

“Let’s go!” Siggag begged, “please let’s go!”

Eric turned to the asura. Dhubbin beckoned and they started to run. 

They headed northwards, the sound of the Horror ringing in their ears. The foes here were mainly spiders, and Eric dispatched them easily. But here and there, a skeleton’s arrow struck the floor, or bounced off the wall. 

 

“They’re still following us, I’m sure of it!” Dhubbin said, catching his breath. They sat huddled in a mausoleum. The thick shadow inside gave Eric precious comfort. 

“What do we do now?” Siggag asked. He hung onto his drake’s neck and stifled sobs. 

Eric’s hands started to shake, and he gripped the handle of his mace. 

“It’s alright,” he said, “We can’t be far from the exit.”

“If I’d have known,” Siggag said, “I’d never have stayed here after the others left.”

Dhubbin sucked air through his teeth: “you never liked them anyway,” he said, “and I thought you wanted to win that wager with Loxu.”

Siggag’s eyes pooled with tears, “it was her idea,” he sobbed, “she wanted to test-” his breath hitched, and he buried his face in his arms. 

Dhubbin sighed. “You always did underestimate this place. All of you did.”

Eric raised his hand: “quiet!” he hissed. 

He peered around the side of the mausoleum and out into the clearing. The spindly branches and vines that formed a cover over this corridor harboured hanging lanterns that blazed with purple flame. By their light, Eric saw the sea of skeletons creeping near. 

“Ah,” he moaned, “they’re here.”

Dhubbin growled, and tugged his daggers from his belt. “You fools,” he hissed. Siggag hiccuped, and his drake shifted its feet.

“Thank me later,” Dhubbin said, tugging at his hood.

“What are you going to do?” Eric said with wide eyes.

“Just get to the portal, will you?” Dhubbin said, darting from their hiding place and leaping towards the skeletons. 

Eric watched as the asura flitted between foes; the glint of his daggers and the sound of splitting bone shattered the grim silence. 

“Let’s move,” he said, grasping Siggag’s arm and leaving the building. 

 

Dhubbin struck a skeleton with his dagger, and sunk the steel into bone. The skeleton recoiled, and jerked the blade from his hand. Dhubbin fell to the ground, and landed heavily on his shoulder. Pain blossomed across his back, and he yelped. He raised his last dagger, and feinted to the left. The skeleton shoved him with its shield, and Dhubbin fell back. His hands hit the ground. Instinctively, he curled his hand into a fist, and flung a handful of dust up into the skeleton’s face.

The skeleton did not flinch. It raised it’s axe, and brought it down. Dhubbin rolled to one side, and drove his dagger up under the skeleton’s chin. It lodged into its skull, and Dhubbin jerked his fist upwards. The skeleton’s bones cracked, and it collapsed in a heap at Dhubbin’s feet. 

An arrow struck the wall inches from his head, and the thief leapt away. 

The archers stood on a bank of broken wall and debris. Their longbows flung arrows with deadly speed, and the thief struggled to avoid them. He took shelter behind a gravestone. The sound of skeletal feet marching ever near filled his ears, and he stayed just long enough to catch his breath.

He stood, and sprinted between the tombs towards the centre of The Labyrinth. 

 

Caeliana saw the door and bounded forwards. She had lost her helmet, and a trickle of blood wormed its way down her forehead. Her shield was cracked, and she tossed it aside. Her body thrummed with adrenaline. She felt ready to explode. The skeletons in her wake were pulverised, and she drove her heel down to crush the skull of another gargoyle. It squawked, and flapped its flaming wings, and lay still. 

Caeliana dug her talons into its flank, and tore a chunk of flesh free. She gobbled it down, and licked her paws clean. 

“Eric!” she roared. There was no reply. 

Caeliana ran to the door, and beat it with her fist. “You better let me out of here!” she growled, and tugged at the handle. 

The door swung open, and Caeliana looked inside. Instead of Lion’s Arch, she saw a swathe of bright stars. The charr stood transfixed for a moment, her mouth open. 

From the depths of the door came a sound, a low grunt, a growl. Caeliana frowned, and stepped back. 

A giant candy corn elemental was approaching, its triangular head parting the starry ether and breaking into The Labyrinth. Caeliana tried the slam the door shut, but the elemental shoved it aside. 

Caeliana raised her mace, and lifted her shoulders. She leapt forwards and drove her forehead squarely into the elemental’s face. Pain erupted behind her eyes, and she swayed on her feet, but the elemental was dazed too. She managed to bring her mace down onto its shoulder with a satisfying  _ crack.  _

The elemental loomed over her, and swung at her with it’s arm. Caeliana darted to one side, and struck again with the full brunt of her fury. The elemental recoiled, staggering backwards. 

It raised a foot, and drove it into the ground. Shards of candy sprung up from fissures in the earth. They spread outwards from the elemental, and Caeliana had to roll to avoid them. She scrambled to her feet, teeth bared, and threw herself into the fray. 

 

Dhubbin gasped, and stood with his hands on his knees. The fletching of an arrow jutted up under his arm. 

“Oh no,” he muttered. Each breath sent spikes of pain into his lung. 

Grasping at his belt, he managed to free the last of his weaponry. He held the little black ball tightly in his fist, and tugged the pin free with his injured arm. The pain made his vision flash black, and the asura gasped. He counted down from  _ ten… _

_ Nine… eight… _

The skeletons kept coming, pushing their way up to him with their axes and swords raised. The archers loosed another volley and the noise of their fletching flying through the air sounded like whispers to Dhubbin’s tired ears. He closed his eyes. 

_ Three.. Two… _

A ball of white flame erupted from the grenade and engulfed Dhubbin. It flung his little body high into the air, and tore through the sea of skeletons. Their bones hit the walls in a cacophony of sound and bounced and shattered their skulls against the floor. 

In a few moments, it was over. The lanterns overhead swung gently from side to side, their ghoulish faces laughing silently. The charred skin of the vines and branches sent spirals of smoke into the chill air. 

 

“Look, it’s the portal!” Siggag said, his ears sticking up and his eyes shining. Eric felt a spark of hope in his chest; he hooked his hand under Siggag’s arm and steered him forwards. 

It was a circular stone almost identical to the one up near the entrance. The visage of the Mad Moon gazed up at them with a lopsided grin. 

“So how do we work it?” Eric asked.

Siggag made a noise halfway between a sigh and a sob, and managed to step up onto the stone. He tapped his foot on the stone a couple of times. Nothing happened.

He turned to his drake and started coaxing it up onto the portal. “Come on, come on!” he grunted as the drake dug its claws into the dusty earth. 

Eric reached out and grasped the drake’s scaly neck with an arm. He tugged, and together, the two of them managed to move the drake next to Siggag. The drake hissed deep in its throat, and rolled its eyes. 

“Stubborn thing!” Siggag cried, striking its flank with a fist. His eyes had flecks of tears in the corners, and he stood wringing his hands. 

“Where is your charr friend?” Siggag asked, sinking to one knee. Eric swallowed, and cleared his throat. 

“Let’s get this thing working,” he said, “Let’s get you back to Lion’s Arch.”

“It was… just a bit of fun,” Siggag said. “Loxu…”

Eric tapped his feet against the stone. 

“We already tried that!” Siggag snapped, grabbing his ears with his hands and tugging at them. He stomped his foot a couple of times, and even jumped up and down. “How do we WORK THIS THING!” he cried. 

There was a rumble, and the sound of footsteps coming closer. Over the sound of the approaching skeletons, Eric heard the low thrumming of a chainsaw. It cut through the air and made his skin crawl. 

Siggag moaned, his mouth falling open. His drake, already spooked enough, heard the noise and bolted. Eric watched as it scrambled away behind a pile of rubble. 

Siggag fell onto his hands and knees, and started tracing the outline of the stone in his hands. Eric copied him, his heart pounding, and a cold sweat breaking out between his shoulder blades. 

“What are we doing?” he hissed at Siggag. The ranger’s breaths quickened. “He’s back,” he said.

Eric clasped his head, and looked back down the corridor. 

The Horror rounded the corner and careered towards them, raising its chainsaw and  _ spinning. _ It smashed into the skeletons running alongside it and threw them out of its way, its large feet driving into the earth as it ran. 

Eric felt his body lock up, and his stomach lurch. He slapped at the portal with his hands and screamed.

There was a whooshing sound, and his vision filled with yellow and brown. Eric felt like his body was being squeezed through a tube, and then it was gone. 

 

Eric opened his eyes. Siggag was gone. 

To his left, Eric saw the edge of a cliff, and felt the cold breeze wafting up from the Labyrinth. From above him, he heard a voice:

“Hello?” it said.

Eric pushed himself to his feet. 

The Boatmaster stood on the boat above them, peering down with a frown. He held the end of a thick chain in his paws, and braced himself with one foot against the side of the boat. 

“I’m about to shove off,” he said, tipping his head to one side, “you’re lucky I heard you.” he paused. The sound of the bone ship creaking stirred Eric from his shock. 

“You heard us?” he asked.

The Boatmaster nodded. “What’s going on down there?” he asked in a low voice. “Why haven't you left like the rest of ‘em?”

Eric started shaking.

“I’m hurt,” he managed, “I have to get back to the city.”

The Boatmaster raised his brow. His shoulders dropped, and the chain in his paws made a clinking sound against the side of the boat.

“Oh my friend,” he murmured, “you’re a little late for that.”

Eric stared. “What do you mean?” he said.

The Boatmaster sighed. “It’s the last few seconds of Hallowe’en,” he explained, “the way is shut.”

Eric reeled around and sprinted to the door. His fingers scrabbled at the handle, and made faint gauges in the paint. It wouldn’t turn.

“Open the door!” he yelled, pounding on the wood. “Please! Open the door!”

The Boatmaster sighed and shook his head. He called out: “You’re welcome to come with me!”

Eric spun around, and ran to the edge of the cliff. “My friend,” he said, tears dripping down his face, “she’s still down there!”

The Boatmaster shook his head: “I have to go, I’m needed elsewhere,” he said. “It’s a one-way ticket and my only offer.” Something in his voice made Eric shiver. 

“No, n-no thank you,” he managed, stumbling back. 

The Boatmaster smiled. “Suit yourself then…” he let the chain in his paws slide free. It hit the side of the boat and slid off with a loud rattle. 

Eric felt his heart thrum in his chest. “Please!” he called out, “Please, help me!”

The Boatmaster held his staff in one paw, and raised the other in a wave. The grim light from the lantern at its head made his eyes shine green. Eric started to shake. The boat pulled away, enveloped in thick mist, and Eric was alone again. 

He stood with his arms wrapped around his chest for a long while. 

 

Caeliana mistimed her blow, and the elemental deflected it with ease. It shoved her back against the wall, and pinned her down with its blunted arms. Caeliana scratched at its arms with her claws, and roared. Her talons slid over the smooth surface of its flesh, and barely left a mark. The pressure from its arm made her head spin, and she gasped desperately. She kicked out with her feet, and drove her boot into its stomach.

The elemental summoned another swathe of candy shards, spewing them from its chest. They struck Caeliana and lodged into her armour. She reeled, clawing at her clothes, and broke off a sharp sliver of sugar. She set her shoulders and ran forwards, driving the shard into the elemental. It entered easily, causing the elemental to recoil with a scream. 

“Aha!” Caeliana roared in triumph, raising her mace and bringing it down again, again, again. 

 

Eric was cold. His teeth chattered. He stood on the portal and waited for it to move him back into The Labyrinth. That was his only chance. If he could get back to Caeliana, he was sure they could find a way to endure this. 

The portal didn’t do anything. Eric screwed his eyes shut tight, and struck his temples with his fists. 

He ran to the cliff’s edge and peered down. The Boatmaster’s chain still hung, descending into the gloom. 

Eric knelt, and grasped the metal in his hands. The cold chain bit into his skin, and made his fingers numb in a matter of seconds. 

“Here goes nothing,” he muttered, and swung his legs over the edge. 

 

Siggag tried to free his leg from the web. The thick strand had encapsulated his foot, and each time he tugged, he twisted the silk even tighter. 

“Dammit, dammit!” he cursed. “Airo!” he yelled, “where are you you stupid lizard?”

Siggag whined, and struck the web with his fist. The second he touched the silk, he froze. 

“What is wrong with me?” he moaned, his shoulders slumping and his ears drooping. His hands were glued fast, and now he was stuck, kneeling, trapped. Defenseless. 

“Airo!” he called, “come here, girl!”

The drake made a sound from the shadows, and Siggag whipped his head around.

“That’s it, girl,” he called softly, “come here!”

The drake had darted through a gap in the wall, straight into a bundle of spiders webs. They hung in thick curtains in the spaces between the crooked mausoleums and tombs. The strands blocked out the light, and there were dark pockets of shadow everywhere. 

Siggag trembled. The silk at his ankle twitched, sending vibrations deep into the tangle of webbing. 

 

Eric closed his eyes. His shoulders burned. With each step, his feet knocked the chain against the cliffside, and sent a metallic  _ clink _ through the air. He had no idea how much of the chain was left, but he prayed it would not run out before he reached the ground. 

A breeze jostled his hair, and he gripped the chain tighter. 

As he descended, he counted his steps. After a while, his foot reached down and hit empty air. 

Eric slowly opened his eyes, and moved his head. He looked down. The end of the chain swung gently from side to side, and the ground below him was still shrouded in mist. 

Eric muttered under his breath. He looked back up the chain. He couldn’t make out the cliff top anymore. He hung for a moment, until the cramp in his hands became too much to bear. 

“Here goes nothing,” he whispered. He let himself drop until his body hung in the air, and grasped the end of the chain in his numb fingers. He counted to three, and let go.

 

Caeliana spat, sending a tooth flying from her lips. The elemental staggered, and fell to one knee. It swayed, reaching to the wall to steady itself. 

“Is that all you’ve got?” Caeliana challenged. The elemental paused, and turned. Caeliana didn't falter. She met its eyeless gaze, and bared her teeth.

The elemental summoned its cascade of candy. The kernels sprung up from the ground and rent the earth. Caeliana avoided them, her feet slipping over the sludge and syrup that coated the floor. The elemental struck again; candy kernels erupted under the charr and drove her up into the air. 

Caeliana fell onto her stomach. Her face slammed into the ground, and syrup oozed over her eyes and nose. She roared, and clawed at her eyes. 

The elemental rushed towards her. Her ears were filled with the sound of its pounding steps. 

 

Siggag heard a noise. It sounded like the  _ snick snick  _  of Dhubbin drawing his blades. 

“Hello?” he called, his voice wavering. “Who’s there?”

The web around them twitched again. 

“Airo?” Siggag asked, “Is that y-you?”

There was silence, then an awful hissing sound erupted from the depths of shadow. 

Airo was flailing and hissing and snapping at something. Siggag heard her claws strike something hard; her teeth made a cracking sound as she bit at whatever was attacking her.

“Come here, girl!” Siggag yelled, “come to me!”

Airo growled. The noises grew louder.

“They’re not real!” Siggag shouted, “They can’t hurt you!”

Deep in his gut, he felt a bubbling sensation. He felt the bile rise in his throat. 

Airo screeched, a sound that made Siggag’s hair stand on end. “What’s happening?” he screamed, “What’s happening?!”

 

Eric hit the ground hard. The force shot up his legs and made his teeth snap together. He tasted blood. Eric fell onto his side and clawed at his leg. A dull sensation was spreading from his ankle. He breathed deep, and held his breath, and waited for the dizziness to abate. 

After a few minutes, he managed to pull himself to his feet. His ankle twinged, but he clenched his jaw, and started to walk. 

He followed the swathe of dead creatures, and soon came across Caeliana’s shattered shield. 

“Caeliana?” Eric called. Up ahead, he heard the sounds of an altercation. Something screamed, and he heard a roar. Eric picked up the pace and his heart started to pound. 

 

Caeliana spun around. She had dropped her mace; it lay half buried in the slime. Her eyes stung, and she gasped air down her aching throat. The elemental moved in for the kill. 

She rushed to meet it, lowering her head.  Her horns slammed into its body and sent a jolt down her spine.

“You’re NOTHING,” she screamed, gouging at its face. 

Eric rounded the corner and saw her as the elemental drove its arm into her face. Her head snapped round, and she sunk to her knees.

Eric charged in, his shield raised. A barrier of energy sprung up, and drove the elemental back. Eric uttered something, and felt the strength of his virtue flood over him. The elemental batted at his back as he knelt by Caeliana’s side, but its blows were deflected.

Caeliana turned to face him, and her eyes widened. 

“You’re still here?” she asked, with a frown. 

Eric shook his head, “I had to come back,” he explained. “Caeliana,” he began, but his voice cracked. “We’re stuck here,” he said. “There’s no way out.”

 

Siggag panicked. He jerked his body from side to side, trying in vain to free himself from the web. “I hate you!” he screamed, “I hate you, I hate you!”

Airo yelped. She struggled for a few seconds. Then the web fell still.

Siggag started weeping. Thick, hot tears dripped down his nose. His mouth was stretched in an ugly grimace. 

“Why did you run off, you stupid animal?” he heaved a shaky breath, and wailed. 

The spiders started to scurry towards him. Their little manufactured bodies didn’t move properly, and they ran jumping and scuttling from side to side. 

Siggag watched them through his tears. From the depths of the web, something larger stirred. A low moan slipped from Siggag’s lips, and he watched with wide eyes as the giant spider reared its head. Unlike its brethren, this spider looked all too real. Its eyes glistened with moisture, and its long, hooked fangs dripped with something sticky, and red.

_ Snick, snick… _

Siggag gulped, but his mouth and throat were dry. The spider moved soundlessly over the web, deftly avoiding the gaps and sliding its way between the stones. The rubble under his feet shifted, and Siggag fell back. There was a moment when he lurched, and his stomach dropped. His head tipped back and he was left staring up at the sky. The green grey clouds swam and spun, and Siggag screwed his eyes tight. 

The spider tugged at the web, and started to reel him in. The ground drew away from him, and Siggag grit his teeth. He hung upside down, his ears trembling.

Nothing happened. 

Siggag opened one eye. 

The spider stared back at him, inches from his face, and lunged. 

 

Caeliana set her jaw and glared. “Well, there’s only one thing to do, then!” she growled. “Gimme that mace!” she demanded, tugging Eric’s weapon from his hand. “You cover me!”

Eric nodded, and raised his shield. Caeliana’s eyes were alight with fury, and she opened with a headbutt. The elemental half avoided it, and she parried it’s next swing. She cracked the mace against its arm, striking the cracks from earlier. The arm exploded, rendered useless in seconds. 

Eric sent fire blooming from its chest. The candy crackled and bubbled, and the smell of burning sugar filled the air. Caeliana gagged. 

“Die already!” she yelled, striking the elemental. 

It slumped to the ground, and raised its arm in supplication.

“Oh no you don’t!” Caeliana roared. She drove her mace down onto its face. There was a crack, and a large split appeared down it’s skull. 

The elemental splintered, wicked spires of candy jutting up. Caeliana raised her arms in a cheer.

“Finally!” she yelled. 

She started to step away. The syrup strewn over the floor sucked at her feet, and with each step she slid a few inches. 

Eric cautioned her: “take it easy,” he said. 

Caeliana waved a paw, she yanked her foot from the ground. The candy fell in long strands from her sole, and dripped from her toes. She took another step.

Eric saw it happen, and called out. Caeliana put her foot down, and shifted her weight, but her feet had no purchase on the sticky ground. She slid, and flung her arms up. The jagged corpse of the elemental rose up to meet her, and the charr fell onto its broken shell. Sharp splinters pierced her breastplate, and lodged into her side. Caeliana howled.

Eric called out, and rushed to her side. He focused all his energy and will into the blue light glowing from his hands. 

“Hang in there,” he said. Caeliana yelped, and drove her paws into the ground. 

She levered herself to her feet, and tore at her side. 

“Get them out of me!” she demanded. Eric nodded, and hurried to help her. The shards he pulled from her side were slick with blood. 

“Just leave the rest,” he pleaded. “Let’s just get out of here and find some place to rest.”

Caeliana hissed through her teeth. 

“Listen,” Eric said, “There’s something hunting us in here.”

Caeliana drew a breath. “I took out the skeletons,” she said, “And the gargoyles, and the  _ mummies. _ ”

Eric shook his head, “something worse,” he explained. “I think we’re gonna need… some help.”

Caeliana pressed her ears against her skull. “What do you mean by that?”

Eric wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I’ll explain on the way,” he said. “We just have to walk a little way further. Can you walk?” he asked.

Caeliana shot him a harsh look. 

“Ok then,” he coaxed, “let’s go.”

 

Caeliana leant heavily on Eric’s shoulder as they walked. His ankle burned, but he ignored it. 

“I’m sorry I did this to you,” she said, hanging her head. Eric reached round and lay his hand on her cheek. Her warm breath tickled his arm. 

“It’s alright,” he said in a low voice. 

The charr grimaced. “I should’ve listened,” she said. “And now…”

Eric shook his head. “It’s going to be alright.”

Caeliana growled. “Somehow,” she said, “I don't think we’ll find much help with the Lunatics.”

Eric drew his lips into a thin line. “It’s our last chance,” he said. “Maybe we can join them… if they’ll take us?” his voice faltered, and fresh tears sprung into his eyes. 

Caeliana’s breathing grew more laboured. Her steps grew short. 

“How… much further?” she gasped. Eric drew a shaky breath. 

“Just up this hill,” he said. They made their way towards the group of figures clustered amongst the gravestones. 

Caeliana dragged her feet. The Prince’s courtiers watched them from either side of the pathway. Their pale faces stared, impassive. Each courtier stood with two more at their backs, and all of them held their weapons in their hands. 

Eric looped his arm around Caeliana’s waist. “Just a bit further,” he murmured, ignoring the twisting sensation in his stomach. 

The rebels at the top of the hill started to move. They walked with their pistols drawn. Several held flaming shields, wreathed in inky fire. The Lunatic at the head of the column held a whip, its long tail looped in his fist. 

Eric started to speak: “We need help,” he said, his throat constricting. “Will you help us?”

There were rebels walking the path behind them now. Eric asked again:

“Please, she’s hurt.”

The rebel raised his whip, his face set in a stony mask. He flicked his wrist, and the long tongue of the whip darted out. Caeliana raised an arm in front of Eric, her eyes wide. 

The whip struck Eric in the face, and split his cheek. He stood frozen, and raised his hands. Blood welled up between his fingers and fell onto his collar. It trickled down his neck and spattered on the floor. His teeth glinted through the wound, and Caeliana let out a low whimper. She clasped him in her arms and hugged him close. Eric started to sink to the floor. 

The rebel Lunatics hemmed them in on all sides. Caeliana closed her eyes. She felt a sharp sting around her neck. Seconds later, she was clawing at her throat. The Lunatic had wrapped his whip around her neck, and yanked until the breath was squeezed from her. He pulled the charr back; she staggered, her eyes rolling and saliva spraying from her mouth. Caeliana fell heavily. Her vision turned black. Her ears were filled with the sound of pistols firing. 

“Caeliana!” Eric screamed, “Caelia-”

  
  



End file.
